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Hey all today is Lyd's 19th birthday. I can't believe 19 years ago today i was in the hospital recovering from my c-section and hurting because mom wasn't there for the first time when I gave birth. How does the time go so fast? Back then I was allowed to stay in the hosp for 4 to 5 days. i took the extra day though they were beginning to boot c-sections out at 3 and 4 days. With M who was a natural birth I stayed in for 3 days and that's longer than most C-sections stay today.

M and Andy took Lyd and her friend to Canada for her birthday. They are going to check out the festival of lights and just have fun.

I haven't heard too much from Q. I assume he is having a good time. I texted him to remind him it was Lyd's b-day and asked how it was going. He didn't answer about how it was and only said I already talked to her. (He may have been annoyed that I reminded him)

Amy I feel bad SisJ is so sick and hope she can get better when she sees her doctor tomorrow. Sometimes you need to see a doc who is familiar with you instead of some stranger.

Jay glad you had a nice Christmas. I did too. I received a knitting machine and a loom. I'm not sure if I should keep both or not. After reading the knitting machine's directions, I wonder if I will ever be able to figure it out. It looks like it might be a bit frustrating at first but good if you get the hang of it. I also received a tablet which I'm really enjoying.

It sounds like he has sleep apnea. I know my CPAP machine made a huge difference in my life. There are sleep clinics everywhere and I do believe it gets over diagnosed. However it can have a huge impact on health if he is not getting the right amount of sleep. Having an episode as serious as mine was when I was in the hospital is extremely rare so I don't think you have to worry about him totally stopping to breath like I did but it can cause other problems like heart disease and diabetes. Many people who have it are overweight and the first thing they will recommend if that is true is to lose weight. Then they try the CPAP machine and if there are still problems then surgery to open up the palate. Maybe six or seven years ago Chris was DX and given a machine. He hated it and never tried it for more than a few hours because of the mask he couldn't sleep on his stomach so he didn't use it. He should go back and get retestrd and a newer machine My mask only goes in my nostrils and isn't bad at all. In fact on days I forget to put it on, I can feel the difference in my pain level.

SisJ ended up back in the ER again today. They gave her IV fluids with some other stuff added in, so hoping that will help. Like Shann said, she sees her primary care doctor tomorrow. Becky, scary to hear how long your aunt's infection lasted, especially since J's immune system is low and it takes a lot more for her to get over things. She's already only 95 pounds. I had never heard of C-dif before. Didn't know it could be chronic.

Pup, I forgot to say that I found some of the old Doctor Who shows, too, so I'm good. Actually, I've been enjoying the new ones. Did they repeat some of the exact same storylines in the new one? I remember seeing a black and white one about a lady who ended up being a reptile or something, and this new one I saw had a lady who looked almost exactly the same but in color (but then I am face blind, so maybe they just had the same build and hair style ) and she ended up being an alien. Slithian or something....

Jay, I'm hoping to see the Hobbit soon! I wanted to see it opening weekend but that's when I had the flu.

I'm so behind on everything... this work break did not end up how I expected. Sickness and health stuff the whole time. I have a formatting and graphic design job I'd expected to be done by now and I've barely started it, not to mention all my own writing projects needing done.

Well my Aunt got C-Diff after she was in the hospital and had surgery. She was so sick she lost a lot of weight and couldn't eat anything. Even a couple years later when she was mostly okay she still couldn't eat much or else she'd get sick.

Shann, do you think dad's breathing when he sleeps could be associated to his asthma? He quit smoking over a year ago and he says his breathing is even worse than when he was smoking. (Odd) But anyway, he has to use his inhaler a lot when he cuts grass too. We've decided that he might not be able to cut grass anymore because he gets so sick after he does.

I think it could be related for sure. It's possible that he is in the early stages of COPD which is common for people who have smoked for years. He could get a nebulizer and see if that helps. I would really encourage him to go see his doctor and get a sleep study done.

Bird.. they haven't copies any storylines yet, in almost 50 years, though they have had recuring characters show back up in several. Silurians are one from the old days as well as the Delaks, and Cybermen, and of course the Doctors old enemy "the Master".

The Slithian are big fat ugly green guys that hide out in human skin suits,(new shows only) the homo-reptilians are the Silurians. In the older shows they looked more like funky rubber people than reptiles. There have been a few of the new shows that have shown the Silurians though. One had a female they removed her battle mask in a basement, so it was rather dark but not black and white.

The ones in the black and white would have been with Jon Pertwee as the Doctor. His character was more like a "James Bond" of the Doctor Who... frilly outfits and snazzy gadgets. Towards the end of his shows they started going in color. (some of those have been redone in the "living color" make-overs.. not the best way to have color TV)

MAybe it was a new show and you just THOUGHT it was in black and white.

Kiddo.. sorry to hear about your dad. That sounds scarry, you better have him checked out.

Shann.. wish LYD a happy B-day for me, even if it is late. Though I don't know her I hear enough from you she sounds like family. Which could be a bad thing when you think of my family.

Well, when I think of your family Pup, I think of Amy, Becky, Tiara, and so on and they all seem only somewhat wacky so it's a great fit for Lyd! Thanks it means a lot to me.

I've been having more and more panic attacks. Tonight there is a church new years dinner, party and communion at MN and i so want to go and even though it's hours away I'm already shaking, nauseated, and teary. I wish someone would go with me and that might make it easier. We have had tons of snow dumped on us and have a long steep driveway. I end up psyching myself out before I even start which dooms me before i'm even near it.

Plus at night (though it seems to happen not when it's completely dark but more like twilight outside and dim inside,) these black shadows cross my line of vision. When I'm driving my brain interprets them as people or animals and I end up swerving or slamming on the brakes and in the house it looks like rats or cockroaches. It only takes me a second to realize that it's just a shadow or something in my eyes (I used to get holes in my vision but they attributed it to the sleep apnea) Chris says when I'm using the CPAP I do still snore at times and I've been having my dying nightmares more which also was attributed to not a nightmare but to the decrease of O2 in my brain. I should go to the neurologist (It's been a year since he told me to go but then I haven't seen my doctor in a year and a day. (Yesterday was one year since I was discharged from the hospital from the mini-strokes or encephalitis they treated me aggressively for both so they're not 100% sure what happened) The thought of even seeing my own doc makes me sick let alone a neurologist/ See Pup we are family! It must be in the genes and no I'm not admitting to being an old goat or even a young goat.

But if I make it through the next 12 hours this will be the first time in 25 years where I've made it through a calendar year without going to the hospital!

Shann wrote: He could get a nebulizer and see if that helps. I would really encourage him to go see his doctor and get a sleep study done.

He already has one. I really hope he doesn't have COPD but honestly I think its probably his allergies and Asthma. He is allergic to dogs and we have 4.

Anyway, he'd never go to a sleep study anyway and he can only go to the doctor like 4 times a year that his insurance will cover. Which he has to go anyway now and again because he has to get script refills.

I was able to talk my supervisor in allowing me to have next week off. See, I told him I've been doing the work of 3 persons for two months, my PTO has maxed out (Can't earn more time off till I use it) and I have pneumonia. I have no one to take care of me, so I must insist on a break or I will end up in the hospital by the time the routine state licensing shows up.

Awww Barb, I'm so sorry you are so sick. I wish I could be there to take care of you. There has been a lot of pneumonia this year. Both M and Andy had it too. Knock on wood but I've been pretty healthy this winter.

I also was offered another paid editing job. Happy New year everyone. I think I'm going to bed.

So Urbana was AMAZING! As I said to Amy in an e-mail and on my Facebook page, you're going to have to give me more time to process, reflect, and debrief and what not before I can give you a better answer than that. I am in a post-Urbana stupor, and can barely form coherent thoughts! I'm sure Shann's son is the same way about now. There is just SO much to process. It's going to be hard to go back to the "real world" of work tomorrow!